Second Shot
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: After an explosion gives Spencer a regressed state of mind, his mother leaves the sanitarium to care for him. What she didn't expect was William coming after them and unintentionally reuniting their family.
1. Second Shot

Spencer's eyes opened to a blinding fluorescent light glowing over him. He felt confusion wash over him. Where was he? How did he get here? One second his mother was reading to him and the next, he was here.

He looked around and saw an unfamiliar face staring at him. Unconsciously, he flinched.

"Hey." Morgan said, smiling.

"Who are you?" Derek held in a sigh. He had a feeling that something like this might happen, although he had desperately wished it hadn't. He still arranged his face into a smile.

"I'm Derek Morgan, I'm with the FBI. What's your name?"

"Spencer. Spencer Reid." He paused, weighing the questions he could ask. "How did I get here?" He asked, quietly.

"There was an explosion and it knocked you out."

"What are you talking about? I was at home with my..." His mind raced and his eyes widened with fear. "Where's my mom?"

The question raised a red flag for Derek, but he kept calm. The line on his heart monitor spiked quickly.

"She's safe." He promised. This did not pacify Spencer, and he started to feel panicked.

"Where?"

The beeping grew faster.

"I'll tell you if you just answer one question for me."

"What?"

"How old are you?"

Spencer looked at him bizarrely. "I'm six."

Derek nodded. "Okay. Hold on a minute. I'll get your mom on the phone, okay?"

Spencer nodded.

Morgan went outside and called Hotch with an update before dialing Garcia.

"Hello Prince of my heart, what can I do you for?"

"Can you get me the number of the Bennington Sanitarium?"

"Coming at you now."

"Thanks, baby girl."

"Anytime."

He dialed the number and waited as the phone rang.

"You've reached the Bennington Sanitarium, this is Shelley, how can I help you?"

"I need to speak with Diana Reid immediately."

"One moment please."

The wait seemed endless, but finally a voice came over the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Reid, my name is Derek Morgan and I work with your son."

"Is he okay?!" She asked, panicking.

"Physically he's fine. But mentally he's not." As he explained what had happened, Diana grew exceedingly worried. She calmed herself down quickly, though. Knowing that her baby needed her took precedence over her own terror.

"Let me talk to him."

"Yes ma'am."

He handed the phone to Spencer, who looked like he was going to be sick.

"Mom?"

"I'm okay, baby. I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, alright?"

"Okay."

"I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too. Bye."

He flipped the phone shut and handed it back to Morgan.

"She's coming."

"Who? Your mom?"

He nodded. Derek was surprised, but didn't let it cross his face.

Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss had converged by the door. Morgan was quick to usher them away, and explained the situation to them. Although they wanted to see their friend, they respected the circumstances and stayed away. Spencer was curious about the people outside of the door, but didn't ask. He was already afraid as it was. Waking up away from his home and family was terrifying. He tried to make himself feel better by replaying old and beloved books in his head. He pulled his knees up to his chest, put his head between them, and shut down completely.


	2. Protection

It seemed like hours as he waited for his mother to arrive. Derek kept vigil over his friend, who didn't move from his position on the bed. He was worried, but didn't want to say anything to upset him. Emily hovered unseen outside of the door, and was the first to see Diana Reid rushing to her son's room. She knew better than to stop her beforehand. This was a woman on a mission.

Spencer could feel her presence when she entered the room. He looked up and there she was. She wasted no time in going over to her son and enveloped him in a hug. Spencer was immediately calmed by her familiar scent. She smelled like home.

"My baby..." She breathed in relief, gently kissing his forehead. Spencer perked up immediately.

"Hi Mommy."

"How do you feel, sweetheart?"

"Tired."

"Do you want me to read to you?"

Spencer's eyes lit up and he nodded. It made her smile. She pulled a few books from her purse and laid them out for Spencer to choose one. Derek smiled at them before exiting the room to give them some privacy, and went to get a cup of coffee with Prentiss.

"Prose Life Of Alexander. Good Choice." She moved her chair right next to the bed, opened the book, and began to read. "How Anectanabus fled Egypt to Macedonia: The most learned Egyptians who know the size of the earth, the waves of the sea, and the order of the heavens (betokening the way of the stars and the turning of the skies), have bequeathed these things to the whole world through the highness and the wisdom of magic knowledge..."

She continued to read, not unaware of her son beginning to fall asleep beside her. By the third page, he was out completely. She always knew when he was really asleep and when he was faking. She gently closed the book and put it back in her purse in favor of watching her son dream. She smiled when she saw his thumb slip into his mouth, and gently ran her fingers through his hair. He smiled in his sleep.

She didn't know how long she sat there, watching over him. Silently ruminating over how blessed she was to have him. He was the best thing that ever happened to her. She gently leaned over and tenderly kissed his forehead.

Then, in an instant, everything changed.

Everything still looked the same. Spencer was still asleep, Diana was still sitting beside him, but there was a presence just outside the door that made her hair stand on end. She turned around to see her husband standing in the doorway. Her instincts had served her well. She led him into the hall and made sure she was far enough away so that Spencer couldn't hear her.

"What are you doing here, William?" She asked.

"Your hospital called me." He said. "Your doctor wanted you supervised."

She put that item into mental storage for later.

"You shouldn't be here, Will." It was only slightly angry. "I took care of my son for eight years without your help. I think I can manage a temporary set back."

The not-so-subtle stab at his desertion pierced his heart like a blade, but he kept a straight face. The other members of the team had come back from the cafeteria and were witnessing the confrontation. As much as they wanted to leave, they were rooted to the spot. Neither William or Diana noticed.

"I want to help you."

She looked up at him. "Why?" He was quiet for a few minutes. "Well?"

"I want to make it up to him."

"What?"

"I want to make my amends."

Her voice was calm, but she flung every word at him with venom. "If you think I'll let you near him of my own free will, I'm not the insane one in this relationship." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand.

"Diana, wait."

She slowly turned to face him, arms crossed.

"Can't we talk about this?"

"The time for talking was twenty years ago. When you left me, I knew that it was coming. I understood why. But you turned your back on your own son. I will never understand why or how you could have done that to your child. He was just a baby- just barely ten years old, and you chose to leave him. Was your freedom really worth losing your family? Was it really that bad?" She looked up at him, confused as to how he could do something that to her was so blasphemous.

"It wasn't like that."

"Then tell me what it was, because I'm not understanding you."

He sighed. "I just wanted to get away for a while. I wanted to come back after some time off. But the days blended together and then I looked at the calendar and a month had gone by. By then I was too embarrassed to go back. I had found who I was without you and Spencer. As much as I wanted to come back, I thought you'd be better off without me."

"Better off?" She hissed angrily. "You forced our son to be my caretaker when I wasn't around. You forced him to grow up too quickly, and you made him believe that it was all his fault!"

"I was trying to protect him!"

"You know nothing about protecting him!"

"I know more than you think. I was trying to protect him from having a father that didn't deserve him."

Diana was stunned. "Is that what this is about?" She asked, quietly. "You thought you were unworthy of him?"

"Yes."

For a minute, she couldn't speak, but her features softened notably.

"Will, if anybody is unworthy of Spencer it's me." She said, quietly. William looked up at her in shock.

"What?"

"Are you kidding? With my disease? They should have called child services years ago." It was physically painful for her to admit it. "I've been trying so hard to protect him from you for years, but what kind of mother am I if I can't even protect my own son from me?!" The last word came out as a sob.

Guilt washed over William like rain, and he put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Diana, you're an amazing mother. Look at what you've done, look at who he grew up to be. If it wasn't for you he wouldn't be who he is today."

"But I failed him!" She said, frustrated and overwhelmed by her own anguish.

"How so?"

"I wasn't there for him! I couldn't be there when he needed me, I couldn't get out of bed half the time!" She cried, then tried to compose herself slightly. "I tried so hard to make a good life for us, but I lived with the knowledge that if my condition wasn't there I could have given my son the life he deserved. Do you know what that feels like?" She asked, gaze pleading. He clasped her hands in his own.

"You didn't fail him. You worked hard with what you had. That's all you could do. You are a strong woman, Diane. Stronger than you know."

"How do you know what I'm like?" She asked, searching his eyes for an answer.

In that moment, she looked so vulnerable and fragile that he was half tempted to sweep her up into his arms and whisk her away. He still loved her deeply, illness or no. It's why they never divorced. There were tears streaming down her face, and he reached up to wipe one away, and whispered:

"Because I married you."

Before either of them knew what was happening, they shared a passionate kiss.


	3. Tears And Fears

In the seconds after their lips parted, Diana was overwhelmed by confusion. Her own emotions were in direct conflict with each other. On the one hand a part of her was still angry at William for leaving, and yet another pitied him now that she understood the real reason behind his actions. Still yet there was another feeling was breaking through the surface- one she never expected to feel again.

Love.

Maybe it was time she took a chance on him. She looked up at him, and saw him grinning ear to ear. She gently put her hand on his and looked into his eyes.

"Promise me that you won't hurt him again."

She knew it was irrational to ask that of him, but she needed the reassure.

He squeezed her hand gently, gaze locked on her face.

"I promise."

She nodded. "Okay. You can stay."

It was a relief to him, and he smiled. "Thank you." He whispered, kissing her cheek. She smiled slightly, unable to hide her blush.

"You're welcome."

Abruptly, Diana straightened- almost as if someone had called her name, but no one had. Her eyes grew fearful.

"Something isn't right." She leapt toward the door and opened to see her son tossing and turning in his sleep, whimpering audibly. His face was clearly distressed. Diana rushed to him and knelt down to his level before gently shaking his shoulder. "Spencer. Wake up, sweetheart."

His eyes snapped open and he gasped in fright.

"It's okay, baby. You're safe. It was just a bad dream." She said, gently stroking his hair. It broke her heart to see him trembling so violently. He shut his eyes as the tears began to flow, and Diana moved to block him from the line of sight of his teammates. She knew that he would not want them to see him break. She pulled him into her arms, hushing him quietly. She started singing a lullaby to him in hopes of calming him down. Slowly, he stopped crying, and only sniffed. By the end of her song, he was stable.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly. He didn't meet her gaze as he spoke.

"There was a flash... Somebody was screaming. There was this huge boom a-and..." He shuttered, a tear leaking from his eye. "Then there were body parts everywhere."

Diana held him tighter, attempting to protect him from his own fear. The team was watching at the door and were very interested in his story. It was what had happened just before he was knocked out. It gave them hope that he might get back to normal quickly.

Slowly, Spencer lifted his head to look at his mother and froze.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

Diana stiffened. "I'm not, baby."

"But you were. Your eyes are red."

"It's nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. Okay?" She said soothingly, stroking his cheek.

"Okay." He said, but he still looked afraid. Diana moved to sit next to him on the bed and hugged him gently.

"It's all going to be okay."

Looking as lost as he felt, he laid his head in his mother's lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, but could tell something was up.

"Talk to me, baby. What's bothering you?"

Spencer shut his eyes as his face crumpled and he started to cry. He sat up and buried his face in her shoulder. She kissed him and cuddled him, not knowing what else to do. The sounds that came out were childlike and even more heartbreaking.

"I want to go home." He sobbed, shaking violently. " I don't like it here! I just want to go home!"

Diana just coddled him.

"I know. You've been so brave. I can't imagine what you must have felt waking up here by yourself. But you did such a great job. I'm so proud of you."

He sobbed, shaking violently. Diana's hold on him tightened. She gently lifted his face to look at her, wiping his tears away.

"Mommy's here, baby. Mommy's got you." She said, rubbing his back in circles. She would have given anything to end the emotional turmoil consuming her son. She thought it would be best to let him cry it out.

The rest of the team shuffled away, leaving William alone in the doorway and at a bit of an impasse. He wanted to go and comfort his son, but was afraid to. He needed to gain his confidence first. But he couldn't do that without taking action. It was a catch twenty two. He pushed down his fear and went over to his son. Carefully, he put a hand on his shoulder. Spencer jumped but relaxed once he saw it was only his father.

"Hi Daddy." He said, quietly.

"Hey buddy. Are you okay?"

"When can we go home?" He asked, innocently. The use of the word we made William's heart skip a beat. He was included in Spencer's idea of a family now. He'd prayed for years to be able to alter the past and make things right.

It seemed God had heard him and answered his prayers in a most bizarre way.

William smiled sadly at his son. "I don't know, Spencer. We have to see what the doctor says. Okay?"

Spencer nodded, trying to even out his breathing. William sat next to his wife and took her hand. They looked at one another and a communication took place between them. The past was in the past now. From the second that Spencer needed them they had gone from estranged to friendly in the course of one conversation. They would do whatever it took to keep Spencer happy during his time of need. They would face this together- as a family.


	4. Regression

Diana was very careful about getting up without disturbing her now sleeping son. William smiled at her from his spot at the end of the bed, and she reached out to take his hand and squeeze it gently. The nurse came in periodically to take Spencer's vitals, but otherwise they had the room to themselves. They both stood up when the doctor entered the room and quickly shuffled out to make sure Spencer wouldn't wake.

"How is he, doctor?" Asked William.

"I won't lie to you Mr. And Mrs Reid- your son is very lucky his injuries were so minor. An explosion of the magnitude he was around could have done some much more severe damage."

"What about his head injury?" Diana questioned.

"We did an MRI when he first came in and his brain activity looked normal. Give him some time to get better. If a few weeks go by without anything going back to normal bring him back in and we can look again."

"Okay. So he's cleared to go home?" William's hope shot through the roof.

"Yes he is."

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Later that day, both of them helped Spencer pack up his few belongings and drove him back to the home their family had once shared together. It was still in their name, and still paid up with water and power. Seeing the house gave Spencer a sense of relief. Everything was going to be okay. Diana watched as Spencer happily went to his room and wrapped her arm around her husband.

"You raised him well, Diane. You did me proud."

She smiled up at him, and they shared a quick kiss before the both of them went to the bedroom they had once shared together. It still looked exactly the same as it did the day he left. Diana sat on the bed and sighed deeply. These next few weeks or months would prove difficult for her, but she refused to give up. Her baby needed her and she wasn't just going to throw in the towel when things got tough. William set his things on the floor, having stopped by his home to bring some essentials back to the house earlier in the day, and started unpacking.

Spencer, meanwhile, had been busy with putting his own things away. He finally felt a sense of security. This was a place with real privacy. He could do whatever he pleased without being watched like a fish in a bowl. It was comforting. When he finished unpacking, he lay on his bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. It was getting dark out now, and the stars were glowing. He looked at them, trying to find constellations in their midst. When he grew bored with that, he turned onto his side and tried to stifle a yawn. It had been a long day. Slowly, his eyes started to close and his thumb entered his mouth.

When his parents went to check on him an hour later, he was fast asleep.

Spencer woke up a few hours later to an uncomfortable feeling. He sat up in bed, brain logy with sleep as he tried to figure out what the problem was. He looked down and saw a discoloration on the sheets.

He had wet the bed.

He felt shame erupt in him like a volcano, but didn't spend too long sitting still. He changed into his pajamas before glancing at the clock. It was only eleven PM. He took a deep breath and knocked on his parents door. Diana dropped her book and hopped out of bed immediately. She opened her door to see her son staring up at her, looking innocent, ashamed, and embarrassed.

"What's the matter, baby?" She asked. He motioned her to bend down and whispered into her ear, face red as a cherry. Diana relaxed immediately.

"That's okay. It's not your fault. That happens to a lot of people. Did you get cleaned up?" He nodded. "Okay."

She went into his bedroom, stripped off the sheets and threw them into the washer before remaking the bed. William stood in the doorway, watching. It had taken him a minute to catch up to what was going on. Now he understood, but didn't want to step in just yet.

"There!" Declared Diana. "All done." She pulled back the covers and watched her son climb in. William moved to stand next to his wife.

"Goodnight, baby." Said Diana, gently kissing his forehead. William gently ruffled his hair.

"Night, buddy."

Spencer smiled. "Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy."

Diana took one last look at him before flicking the light off and gently shutting the door.

When she got back to her bedroom, she saw William looking at her, concern etched onto his face.

"He wet the bed?" He asked, concerned.

"You're surprised?" She said, flatly. He blinked twice.

"You're not?"

She sat down on the opposite side of the bed and looked at him. "Will, he woke up by himself in a hospital with federal agents in the room. He was probably scared out of his mind. Of course he's going to regress in his behavior. He wants to go back to a time when he felt safe and secure. That's why he's been sucking his thumb all the time and wet the bed. It's up to us to roll with the punches. If we try and stop him it will just prolong the phase."

He looked at her, completely and pleasantly surprised.

"How do you know all that?"

"I read tons of parenting books while I was pregnant. I wanted to prepare for anything. I just ended up getting lucky that my son is a genius who didn't need to regress as a toddler. The knowledge was still there, just waiting for me to use it." She said, wistfully. William just grinned and kissed her.

"That's pretty sexy." He whispered in her ear. A small shiver went up her spine.

"Why Mr. Reid, are you trying to seduce me?" She asked, feigning surprise. Secretly, she was thrilled.

"Is it working?"

She grinned and stopped her face when it was mere centimeters away from his.

"Perfectly."

They kissed deeply and passionately, all culminating in their first time making love in years. When they both climaxed together, it was a perfect release- letting all the negativity and anger from the past be expunged and leaving plenty of hope for the future. They fell asleep tangled in each other's arms, feeling hopeful about the weeks to come.


	5. Exhaustion

Diana Reid was a genius, paranoid schizophrenic, accomplished professor of fifteenth century literature, and wife. But above all those things she was a mother first and foremost. Motherhood came with it a complex set of emotions and knowledge. Instincts and protectiveness were both sharpened to a fine point. That being said, Diana knew instinctually that her son's condition would likely get worse before it got better.

The thumb sucking continued as she had assumed it would and, unfortunately, so had the bedwetting. She was honestly considering putting her son back in diapers for the time being, at least until things calmed down again. The only thing stopping her was picturing the ashamed look of embarrassment on her son's face. She wanted to discuss it with William, but he had been called into work early, so that conversation had been put on the back burner of her mind for now.

The other requests were significant, but not as consistent or draining. He cried more easily than she remembered. He carried a blue blanket with him everywhere and begged his mother for a bottle of milk (which she had refused to give him despite his constant pleading. It had gone on so long that she was able to hallucinate and came out of it to the sound of her son's whining). He had become particularly attached and clingy to his mother, often asking to sit on her lap or be held in some way. Occasionally he spoke in more babyish terms, but not often enough for either one of his parents to really crack down on.

The only other new behavior was settling Spencer down for an afternoon nap- something she never thought she'd do again after age five. Sometimes it went well. Other times it was a tantrum waiting to happen.

Diana herself, though, was bone crushingly exhausted. Taking care of Spencer while her husband was at work was tougher than she remembered. Although, her son had been in late childhood when William left- not early childhood as he (somewhat) was now. Trying to hold his focus was a fruitless endeavor.

Even now she had put her son down for a nap an hour or so ago and was considering joining him even though the list of chores she had to do was ten miles long. She sat on the couch, took a deep breath, and sighed. It had been a difficult few days to say the least. It reminded her that having a child was never meant to be easy- but it was incredibly rewarding.

The doorbell rang. After a moment's pause, she came to answer it. There stood all of the members of the BAU.

"Mrs. Reid, my name is Aaron Hotchner and I'm your son's superior. All of us wanted to come over and see how he was doing."

Her immediate thought after hearing that was that they could have called first.

However, she didn't act on her first thought. "He's asleep right now." She said, playing with the cuff of her robe sleeve.

"Would it be alright if we came in anyway?"

Before she could reply, a small voice interrupted her.

"Mommy," whined a sleepy Spencer as he clutched his blanket and rubbed his eye tiredly. "I had an accident."

Diana stifled an exasperated sigh. "Okay baby. Go get changed and I'll be there in a minute."

Although she didn't trust the government in the least, the rational side of her brain argued that these were his friends. Doubtful yet still hopeful, she let them inside.

"Excuse me." She said, quietly. She moved to make a quick call to her husband before scampering upstairs to help her son get cleaned up. She wasn't at all surprised to find the sheets already in the washer and Spencer already dressed in new pajamas.

She patted the side of his bed and he moved next to her.

"Listen to me carefully, Spencer. I am so proud of you. I always am. These accidents that you have don't ever take any of that away. You are my precious baby boy, and I love you more than anything in the world."

"I love you too, Mommy."

She gently kissed his forehead before tucking him back into bed. He got back to sleep rather quickly. When she was sure that he was alright she went back out to the living room and sat across from the row of BAU agents on her couch.

"How is Spencer doing?" Asked JJ.

Diana sighed. "Not so well. I figured that after what happened he would need to regress in behavior for a while. Unfortunately I was right. More right than I ever wanted to be."

"How do you mean?" Asked Garcia.

She shook her head tiredly. "He's gotten very clingy. He's been having problems with wetting the bed among other things." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. None of them bothered to push any further.

"Would you call us if there's any news?" Asked Morgan. Diana smiled politely.

"Of course."

She shook them all by the hand before they left. About ten minutes after, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

Diana smiled. "Thank goodness."

"Is everything okay?" Asked Wiliam.

Diana sat on the couch. "He wet himself at nap time today."

"Really?"

"Yes. It doesn't look like things are going to get better anytime soon. Have you given any thought to putting him back in diapers for the time being?"

William paused notably. "Are you sure about that?"

"It's either that or we do three extra loads of laundry a day."

He sighed. "I guess we have no choice, do we?"

"Unfortunately no."

"I'll pick some up on the way home from work."

"Perfect. I love you so much."

He smiled. "I love you too."

As she hung up the phone, Diana looked down the hallway, half expecting Spencer to come down and protest the treatment he was going to be given. Diana fidgeted with the tiny gold locket around her neck, nervous about what was to come. She knew that she had to keep her head up for William's sake at least, but inside she was afraid. She didn't want this to crush her son's self esteem. She just hoped that taking this next step wouldn't end in disaster.


	6. The Next Step

Diana felt her anxiety rise as she waited for William to arrive home. She had kept Spencer busy with multiple puzzles, but could feel when he looked at her as she stared out the window. When she saw his car pull into the driveway, her breathing hitched. This would either end very well or very badly. She moved back into the living room to sit behind her son on the couch. When William entered the house, Spencer scrambled to his feet.

"Daddy!" Came the jubilant cry. William set the plastic bag on the dinner table and was thrilled as his son hugged him tightly.

"Hey buddy. How are you?" He asked, moving to look at him.

"Good. I was doing puzzles."

He glanced at four completed puzzles and one that was three quarters of the way done.

"So I see." He turned his attention to his wife and pulled a bouquet of roses from behind his back. Her eyes lit up with delight.

"M'lady." He said, presenting them to her. She laughed.

"I can't believe you got me flowers! You haven't done that in a long time." She sniffed them and sighed happily. He grinned.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Consider me surprised." She said, kissing him gently.

He took her hand and squeezed it gently. She sat them down on the couch as he silently reminded her of the other business that needed to be taken care of. She looked at him for support and he wrapped his arm around her waist. They both nodded, then looked at their son, who was trying to finish his last puzzle.

"Spencer, Mommy and Daddy want to talk to you for a minute."

He turned to look at them, and Diana could see the gleam of curiosity in his eyes.

"Come here, baby. Sit down." He obliged and sat between them.

"Buddy, you know Mommy and I love you so much, right?" William began. Spencer nodded, and he took it as a sign to go on. "We know how much you've been having accidents lately, and we want to help."

Spencer blushed. "How?" He asked, looking at them in confusion.

William went to get the bag while Diana stroked her son's hair. When he went back he took off the plastic bag. "We want you to wear these."

It took Spencer about three seconds to fully understand what was going on. He crossed his arms and pouted.

"I'm not a baby." He muttered, indignant.

"We know that." Diana added quickly. "This is just for bedtime and nap time. You don't have to wear them any other time. You just need a little help- and what have I always told you about that?"

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help." He recited flatly.

Diana moved to get in front of him and got down to his level, looking him right in the eye.

"Daddy and I are just trying to help you. I know this might be hard at first, but I know you can do it. Please give it a try for us?" She begged. Spencer looked away, still a little sullen, but nodded. Diana breathed a sigh of relief, and gave him a big hug. "That's my boy."

Not long after they are dinner at the dining room table before there was a window of free time for all before it was bedtime. William pulled his wife into the kitchen to speak with her privately, while still give her a view of Spencer, who was watching a movie in the living room.

"Are you okay, Diana?" He asked putting his hands on her shoulders. She plastered a smile onto her face.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all."

His voice was firm but soft. "It's more than that. You're running yourself into the ground with this, and I'm afraid of what that might mean when things get to be too much. If you're this stressed it'll be easier for you to hallucinate, and we can't afford to have that happen. Spencer needs you now more than ever. Being a good mother doesn't mean you forget about yourself. You need to take care of yourself too. Okay?"

For a second she didn't move, and then she plunged her face into his chest and started to cry as the reality that this was all too much to handle set in. He held onto her tightly, hoping that she'd feel more supported somehow.

"I don't know what to do." She admitted.

"Take one hour of time for yourself each day. I can always watch him for you."

"But he doesn't ask for you. He asks for me."

"I think I can keep him busy long enough."

Diana bit her lip. "Well..." Her indecision was paramount.

He put his hands on her shoulders. "I promise you he'll be fine."

She sighed in defeat. "Alright."

He kissed her. "Good. Now go on and do something you like. I have things covered here."

Hesitantly, she made her way to the master bathroom and ran herself a bubble bath. She climbed into the warm water and relaxed for the first time in days. Meanwhile, William had set out to distract his son from his wife's absence. This didn't prove to be difficult as the movie was very entertaining. When it was over fifteen minutes later, however, things got a little more problematic. However, William was able to keep his son's attention by helping him prepare for bed.

Diana came out of the bathroom just as Spencer was getting into his pajamas. William had already helped him into his diaper earlier. Now that he was finished dressing, he asked his parents to read him a story before bed. Together they read one of his favorite books- "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. By the end of the story, Spencer was out cold. William and Diana exited the room, hopeful that they were at least beginning to take care of their son's problem. Only time would tell. After a few hours of cleaning house and getting ready for bed, they too fell asleep. And for the first time in days they were left to sleep through the night- just like their son.


	7. Knowing

Both Diana and William were relieved that their plan had worked. Once Spencer saw that it was working he didn't feel as embarrassed. Although his regression never fully went away, it wasn't worsening, which was good. The next few days were blissful in the Reid home. Now they were getting into a routine and getting closer to one another by the day. Things were going extraordinarily well.

So naturally, something had to come and ruin it.

The day started out as any other.

William ate breakfast with his wife and son and kissed them both before heading to work. Diana cleaned up the kitchen while her son busied himself with a book. She spent a little bit of time vacuuming the carpeted parts of the house. She tried to do a little housework every day to lighten her load on the weekends. After that she spent time playing with her son in the living room. By then it was nearing afternoon. She made lunch for the two of them before settling him down for a nap.

During his nap, Diana took a break, but started to feel anxious for no reason at all. She tried to relax herself, but couldn't shake that feeling. She looked in on her son several times, but each time he was fine. She decided to call her husband at work, but was sent to voicemail for his cellphone. It made her skin prickle, but it wasn't an unusual occurrence. Time passed, and her anxiety festered. She waited another hour before calling the firm itself. The perky receptionist told her that her husband was in a meeting, and that she would give him the message. Still, the feeling of something being wrong refused to leave her be.

She pushed her anxiety aside when her son woke up and channeled all of her energy into him. She read to him, played with him, and kept herself distracted to not think about it. When it came time for dinner, she still set three places at the table. She had Spencer help her make dinner to distract him. She couldn't stop herself from looking at the door.

She made sure Spencer ate long before she did. When she finally couldn't take it anymore, it was nine thirty at night and her dinner was ice cold. She reheated it in the microwave and paced the kitchen while it was cooking.

Her husband had never walked through the door.

A part of her thought that maybe he had left her again, but the part of her brain capable of rationalization argued that it wasn't that. He would have told her somehow if he was leaving. He wouldn't go without at least giving her that much. And she was absolutely sure that he would have said goodbye to Spencer somehow. A dark part of her tossed out the idea that she wasn't worthy enough for even that much of a goodbye, but she could ignore it fairly easily. She shook her head, trying to clear it.

No. She had to listen to her instincts. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Mommy," Came the innocent voice that she loved to hear, "Where's Daddy?"

She turned around and looked at him and smiled. "I'm not sure, baby. But don't worry. I'm sure everything's alright."

Spencer frowned, but went back to the living room. She hated lying to him, but she didn't want to worry him before she had to.

She knew what she had to do, although she hated it.

That night she made a call to Aaron Hotchner, asking for help.

Because it involved a teammate (even though he wasn't technically a part of the team at that time) everyone came over almost immediately. Diana made sure that Spencer was in bed and asleep long before they got to the house. She wanted to make sure he didn't know about any of this because she didn't think he could handle any more stress without sliding back in his behavior even further. When the SUV's pulled up in the driveway, she was relieved.

The BAU filed into the Reid home and all sat on the couch.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly." She said, smiling.

They all nodded. "What's wrong?" Asked Hotch, taking a seat on the couch.

Diana fiddled with her locket. "I've been trying to contact my husband all day. When he didn't answer his cell phone it didn't bother me because he forgets to check it all the time. But when I called his work and his secretary promised to have him call back and he never did I knew something was wrong. His phone is still off. I didn't know where else to go." She paused a moment, fighting back tears. "I considered the option that he might have left me again." Her voice was a tremulous falsetto. "But if he had, he would have told me or left a note. That's what he did the first time. And he would have said goodbye to Spencer. He wouldn't have left him like that." The tears streamed down her face, and she wiped them away, sniffing. "I know that I'm not always lucid, but I know when something is seriously wrong. My husband wouldn't do this to me. Not twice." Her voice strengthened at the end with her conviction. She tried to pull herself together momentarily. "Will you help me?"

They all looked somewhat shaken up by her story. Hotch and Rossi shared a look. This woman was certainly not the most sane individual they had worked with, but they could see that she was clear in her current state of mind and was absolutely speaking the truth. She sat down in a chair, wiping her eyes delicately with a tissue. It felt good to release all of the emotions that had been building inside of her all day. Her anxiety was still astronomically high, but yet she was able to find some solace in the fact that she could see the agents clearly believed her.

Hotch looked at her and nodded. "Absolutely."


	8. Missing

The next day the BAU were combing the city for any trace of William Reid, beginning at his office at the Kierschenbaum, Wieder and Moore law firm. Everything seemed normal enough- the files were in place, the computer wasn't harboring anything suspicious. The only red flags they found was his cell phone still turned off inside of his desk drawer and his car still in the parking lot.

"Whoever took him did it quietly." Prentiss remarked. "There aren't any signs of a struggle and nobody heard anything unusual."

Morgan noticed that the picture of him with his family (which he had added to his desk a few days earlier) was positioned oddly. He got the distinct impression that it wasn't that way by accident.

"I think the unsub threatened his family to get his compliance."

"Makes sense. But how did he get him out the door with no one noticing?"

"He didn't have to." Morgan replied, moving the blinds to reveal the half opened window. "So he pulls out a weapon, threatens the family, has him tell his secretary he's in a meeting, and gets him out through the window."

"Except the secretary would have noticed a meeting that took that long."

"Don't be so sure- the last time I was here we found out he worked longer hours than we do. Maybe it was normal for him and that's why she didn't notice anything different."

Prentiss nodded. "I'm going to call Garcia and see if we can get the names of his appointments from yesterday off of his computer."

"Okay." He took out his own phone to call Hotch.

"Morgan. What have you got?"

"It looks like the unsub threatened the family and had him tell the secretary he was in a meeting before taking him out through the back window. Prentiss is getting Garcia to look through the computer."

"Good. Meet back at the station in an hour."

"You got it."

Hotch hung up with him and turned to Rossi. Both of them were at the police station, where both of them were looking at a map of Las Vegas on a cork board. The abduction site and home were both flagged, but they were missing the crucial third point that would narrow down the geographical profile. Hotch sat down in a rolling chair.

"It doesn't look like we're going to get anywhere with the geographical profile, so let's focus on victimology. Why this man?"

"He was a lawyer. He's guaranteed to piss people off with every won and lost case in his history."

"So one of his clients might be out for revenge. What else?"

"He's a very low-risk victim. He was a workaholic who only traveled to work and back according to his wife and the GPS in his car."

"There's something we're not seeing here. Some piece is missing from this puzzle." Hotch murmured. Rossi stared at the picture of William Reid, subconsciously willing it to tell him something. When he looked at it, however, all he could see was Spencer.

Wait.

"That's it!" He said, out loud. "This isn't an attack on William. This is an attack on Reid."

Hotch blinked.

"Think about it," Rossi continued, "The unsub is recreating his father's abandonment by taking him away. It's all intentional, designed to systematically take away his family."

"But Reid doesn't remember that." Hotch argued.

"The unsub doesn't know that. In his mind he's breaking Reid apart piece by piece."

"If he's trying to break him down, what else is there to take away?"

In response, Rossi took a photo off of the board and handed it to Hotch.

It was a picture of Diana Reid.

Garcia had chosen to stay with Diana and Spencer. Operating off of her own laptop she was certainly slowed down in her speed of finding things, but her determination to help her friend never wavered. She was able to watch the interactions between Diana and Spencer and was heartened by what she saw. The clear love between them was a definite bright spot in this mess.

An anonymous tipster had informed the media that William Reid had gone missing, and his face was plastered all over the news. Diana had never been big on the news anyway, but now she avoided it at all costs- especially near Spencer. She wasn't all too sure of how much to tell him about what was going on, but she had to tell him _something_. Every time he asked her where Daddy was it jarred her heart a little more. Finally, she sat him down and told him that she didn't know where Daddy was, but that she was sure Daddy still loved them and that he would be home as soon as possible. Although he was too little to understand everything that was going on, he could tell that it was very serious.

Diana decided that there was one other thing she needed to explain to him. She was very hopeful that he would never have to deal with this possibility, but thought that she should tell him anyways, just to cover her bases.

"Spencer, there might come a time where Mommy might gone for a while. Not anytime soon, I hope, but I might have to go away to get help for some things that I can't get help for here. And if that ever happens, you need to listen to whoever is taking care of you, because they will keep you safe. Will you promise to do that for me, baby?"

He nodded. "I promise, Mommy."

Not long after that, Diana put Spencer down for his afternoon nap. The team had gathered back at the Reid home, hoping to drive the media circus away with a few official statements. Neither Diana nor Spencer needed to deal with that right now. JJ was dealing with them one by one, slowly clearing the otherwise empty cul-de-sac. She was finishing up with the last of the reporters. Once the others were finally gone, she went inside just before an ambulance pulled into the driveway. The personnel got out, and knocked on the front door.

Diana opened the front door to see two men in white uniforms standing there, along with her Psychiatrist from the sanitarium.

"May I help you?"

Dr. Norman's face was saddened as he said the sentence he'd been dreading.

"Diana, I'm here to take you back to the sanitarium."


	9. Heartbreak

It took Diana a moment to comprehend what he just said. Still, all that came out of her mouth was a shocked "W-What?"

"I saw on the news that your husband is missing. The two of us made a deal that as long as you were supervised, you could be let out of the sanitarium. He isn't here to supervise you."

"B-But what about my son? He's just a baby, he can't take care of himself. His father is missing, and now you want to take me away from him, too?!" The words tumbled out of her mouth as the feeling of betrayal wracked her body.

"I'm sorry, Diana. But this is out of my hands." She was too stunned to speak. "Pack your things, and say your goodbyes."

The rest of the BAU had halted in their tracks when they overheard the news. Now all of them, wether consciously or not, were watching the exchange and were glued to the spot.

"Doctor," said Hotch, stepping forward, "what if we supervised her?" Out of everyone there, he could empathize best with Diana's plight.

"I'm sorry, but you're not family."

Diana's heart plummeted into her stomach as the reality of what was happening sank in. Numbly, she went upstairs to get her things ready. Penelope, unable to stand idly by, followed her.

She could feel Penelope's presence as soon as she entered the room. Garcia looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry." She said, not knowing what else to say.

Diana tried to smile, but couldn't manage it.

"Will you help me?" She asked, looking up at her.

"To pack?"

"No. Will you take care of Spencer for me while I'm gone?"

Although surprised, Penelope nodded. "Of course. Anything I can do to help."

"I'll write you a daily schedule to follow. He likes routine."

"Okay. Great."

It took her about a half hour to pack all of her clothes, and fifteen minutes more to find all of the essential possessions and put them in a separate bag. After she finished with that she hand wrote a schedule for Spencer that would have made an air traffic controller proud. In writing that schedule, it really rammed the truth of what was happening home.

For a minute, she just stared at it before tears started leaking from her eyes and sobs began to wrack her body. She cried, feeling more terrified than she ever had in her entire life. Her husband was gone, her baby needed her, and she was being forced to leave him behind. It was the cruelest torment that she could ever imagine. It felt like her heart was slowly being torn apart piece by piece and then thrown into a fire to burn into nothingness. The pain was crippling her, but she knew that they were all expecting her out in the living room. She had to move- no matter how much she didn't want to.

She brought her bags to the muscled men in white uniforms, and they put her bags into the ambulance. She turned to her doctor.

"Can I wait until his nap is over to tell him and leave?" She asked, features soft and pleading. He tried to smile at her, but knowing what he was doing to her and to her son tempered any good feelings he may have had left. He nodded. She went down the hall and gently opened his door. There lay her baby boy, sleeping like an angel. She sat down in the nearby rocking chair, watching him sleep. He looked so innocent and peaceful. It broke her heart to know that in less than an hour she was being forced to steal that peace away from him. Every small move fascinated her, just as it had when he was a baby. The overwhelming love that she had for him was matched by none. There was nothing she wouldn't do for him.

In a rare moment of clarity, she was able to put herself in her doctor's shoes, and could see the source of his concern. She knew she was unstable and that William's absence could worsen her already dangerous condition. But as a mother, she had to protect her baby. She couldn't do that from the sanitarium. She got lucky that the BAU would look after him for her. She didn't trust the government one bit, but these six people were the exception to the rule. Now she had to trust them. She kept telling herself that Spencer would be safe, but couldn't help her doubtfulness.

Her son began to stir, and she plastered a smile on her face as his eyes opened. She planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart. It's time to get up now." She said quietly. He murmured something inaudible from behind his thumb. She changed him as he slowly woke up from his nap, trying to memorize every precious contour of his face. She held his hand as she walked down the hall. When he saw the strangers in his house, he peered up at his mother questioningly. She had him sit on the couch and knelt down to his level.

"Do you remember what I told you?" She said quietly. It took him a second to catch up with her meaning. When he did, his face crumpled, and he nodded, reaching out to hug her.

"Please don't go, Mommy. Please don't go." He begged. If there was anything left of her already broken heart, the words he spoke obliterated the remains.

"I don't want to go, baby. But I have to. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I never wanted to have to do this to you. I love you so much. I never wanted to hurt you." She said, fighting back the tears. Spencer sobbed into her shoulder.

The rest of the team watched the two of them interact, many of them crying silently at the heart wrenching scene before them.

Diana pressed her lips to her son's forehead and wiped his tears away.

"Do everything that Miss Penelope asks you to do, okay?"

"Okay." He sobbed.

"I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too, Mommy."

Diana stood up and was led away by the two men. She could see her son watching her departure from the front window. Only when the doors were closed and she was sure Spencer couldn't see her did she finally break down and cry.

 **Author's Note: This chapter pretty much wrote itself, but it was still devastating to write. So, if you liked this chapter (despite all the sad feels), let me know and review please!**


	10. Home At Last

Spencer tore himself away from the window a few minutes after the ambulance left. Despondent and consumed by grief, he left the living room and went back to his own bedroom. He could feel the stares of the BAU on him as he passed by, but didn't have enough energy to care. He curled up onto his bed, put his thumb in his mouth, and started to cry. Never before had he felt so alone. Daddy was gone, and now Mommy was too.

He had nobody.

It just made him sob harder. He longed for the way things were three days ago. Family. Laughter. Smiles. Now his fairytale had turned into a horror story. He sat up in bed and pulled a book off of one of the shelves. If he strained hard enough he could still hear Mommy reading it to him- even if it was only in his imagination. When he got bored with that he moved to lay on his side and stared at an old family portrait of the three of them that was on his nightstand. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was how they were supposed to be. Together.

The rest of the BAU watched his departure with sad eyes. Hotch was the first to shake it off and take action.

"What do we know about this unsub?" He asked. They all sat down.

"He's organized." began Prentiss. "He blends in. Doesn't stand out in any way."

"He was smart enough not to leave a paper trail or any kind." Added Morgan.

"He's meticulous. He's done everything with a very clear purpose in mind." Rossi remarked.

"So what are we missing?" Asked JJ. "There's something we're not seeing here."

"He's doing this to torment Reid." Said Hotch. "He's the one who called the media because he knew it meant his mother would be taken."

"But how would he even know that this would torture him?" Questioned Garcia.

"They wouldn't... Unless they were watching from the beginning." Said Prentiss, shocked.

"Garcia?"

"Sir?"

"Can you pull a list of names of people injured in the explosion?"

"Yes I can but you're going to have to narrow this down."

"Look for males in their mid to late thirties with very minor injuries whose rooms were close to Reid's. Look for homes that are isolated from the main road or for rental properties in their name that could be used as a secondary location."

"Give me just a second here..." She said, typing furiously. "This looks promising. Horace Winston, thirty two, was injured in the explosion with a minor concussion and a few scrapes and bruises. He was next door to Reid in the hospital and his property is on an extremely isolated farm and I just sent you the address now."

"Let's go." Said Hotch, and they all loaded into their SUV's. "We'll call you if we have something, Garcia!" He yelled. She nodded before going down the hall to find Spencer. She wanted to comfort him, make him feel better, do something to help. When she got there, she saw that he was staring at a picture by his bed.

She knocked at the door. "Can I come in?"

"Okay." He said, quietly.

She looked around the room, unsurprised at what she saw. There were books, puzzles, model planes, and other things boys loved. She sat down in the rocking chair and was saddened by the look on Spencer's face. He looked so lost and afraid. She reached out to hold his hand.

"Everything's going to be okay." She said, quietly. He looked at her, big brown eyes boring innocently into her own.

"Are you sure?" He asked, slightly afraid. She smiled reassuringly.

"I'm sure."

Horace Winston's farm was an hour and a half away from the Reid home. When they got to the property (after passing the entrance four times) they parked in a way so that their cars weren't visible from the house or barn. Hotch, JJ, and Prentiss took the house while Rossi and Morgan took the barn.

Hotch burst through the door to see a brown haired man jump off of the couch in fright.

"My heavenly days! What's going on here?!"

"Horace Winston, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of William Reid."

"What are you talking about?! I didn't do nothing to nobody!"

When Rossi and Morgan bust open the barn door, they found William Reid bound to a chair and gagged with a white cloth.

"Clear!" They both set about untying him.

"Where's my wife and son?" He asked the second he was free of his gag.

"Your wife is in the sanitarium and your son is safe at home." Said Morgan, untying his bindings. William sighed in relief. They were okay. His own injuries were very minor- just a few cuts on his arms. They were easily patched up by the EMT's. Horace had already been loaded into the police cars and was being driven away. Hotch called Garcia to let them know what was going on, but she didn't pick up the phone. Unbeknownst to them, she was engaged with trying to get Spencer to eat something.

William asked the agents to take him to Bennington Sanitarium before going back home- that way they would all be together when they got home. As soon as they pulled into the parking lot William sprinted toward the building, focused solely on getting his wife back into his arms. He could barely handle filling in the sign in sheet before he set out to find her. He checked her room first and, when she wasn't there, went to the common room. There she sat on the couch, reading a novel by Victor Hugo.

He walked over, barely able to contain himself and waited for her to look at him. When she did, her eyes widened.

"Will?" She whispered in shock. He nodded.

"Hello Diane."

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with a passion that shocked them both.

"You're okay?" She asked, once their lips parted.

"Fine. I'm perfectly fine."

"Good." She sighed in relief. "Now we can go home."

He offered her his hand, and she took it. Before they left they stopped by Dr. Norman's office where Diana looked at him coldly. He nodded at the both of them before letting them leave. They sat in the back of the SUV, explaining everything that had happened to one another on the way, and waited until they were back home before racing out and opening the front door.

Spencer, who had been poking at his dinner with his fork since six that evening (it was now well past eleven at night), had been depressed the entire day. Every moment seemed to get more and more darkly depressing. He was so engrossed in his own disappointment that when the door opened, he didn't look up. Diana and William shared a look.

"Spencer?" They said together. He whipped around so fast that he knocked his chair over. It took him a moment to absorb what he was seeing before he ran to both of them and hugged them tightly. Diana's face was red as tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"We love you so much, baby. More than you'll ever know."

"I love you Mommy. I love you Daddy."

Garcia, who was watching from the kitchen, just smiled- as did the team watching from the doorway.

That was what family was supposed to be.


	11. Back On Track

After Spencer's friends had helped bring their family back together, both Diana and William had invited them back over for a thank you dinner, saying it was the least they could do, but they all politely declined. Although they were thrilled to see all of their hard work pay off, being with Spencer while he didn't remember them was acutely uncomfortable for all of them. Seeing someone they loved and cared for so much being hurt so deeply was too much to bear. Plus, although they'd never admit it to anyone, it was strange to see him act that way. They spoke to William and Diana privately, asking them to contact their team once Spencer started heading in the right direction and remembered more. As much as they wanted to intervene and interact with their friend during this trying time, the fear of blocking his progress by doing it was greater. The two of them agreed and shook hands with every agent before leaving the home.

The first few days after the reunification of their family were the worst.

Although he should have felt more secure now that both parents were home, Spencer felt a sense of upheaval instead. His life had been torn apart and put back together in the short span of three days. It was terrifying to him, and any small steps forward that he'd made before were obliterated. For the first day that they were back together, Spencer refused to sleep without one of his parents in the room. That was fine with Diana- She didn't want to let him out of her sight. He woke up several times screaming with nightmares. Each time Diana was there to soothe him back to sleep. William too was there often, although he wasn't in during the extremely late hours of the night. He still (unfortunately) had work in the morning. Although he had begged for time off, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Diana refused to leave her son's side. Her guilt over being forcibly taken from him when he needed her most was overwhelming. The instinct to protect and nurture him was at it's most primal. If anyone else other than William had tried to come near him, they wouldn't have escaped her wrath. Spencer clung to her constantly, frightened that at any moment his family would once again be torn away from him. Diana consistently reassured him that everything was okay now, but he couldn't shake the feeling of losing control of his life no matter how much he tried. It kept him very quiet because he wasn't sure how to deal with the emotions he was feeling. Sometimes he cried, and that got rid of some of the tension, but it never lasted long enough. There wasn't relief in the action.

Diana did her best to remain chipper and optimistic, but seeing her son so upset easily brought her mood down. It seemed as if nothing could soothe him. She tried, William tried, and Spencer tried to soothe himself, but nothing worked. Both Diana and William had silently agreed with one another that they would just have to wait it out. It was incredibly difficult for all of them.

The second day they were all together again Spencer was a little less clingy. He didn't ask for his parents to stay with him while he slept (although Diana did stay at nap time of her own accord just to be sure he was safe). He sat in the living room while Diana made dinner instead of staying next to her. He still got panicky when one of his parents was out of his line of sight, but it wasn't as terrifying to him as it had been the day before- even if it was only a tiny bit less scary. His regression was still extreme- more extreme than the last time- but this time Diana and William were prepared for it, and that made all the difference. Diana was adamant about keeping to Spencer's regular schedule in those first few days, knowing that any more disturbance in his routine would only worsen his sense of spiraling out of control.

Although he was much more quiet about his feelings than his wife and son, William spent much of his time worrying over his son's health. He had taken steps toward recovery, although they were incredibly small. To have all of that erased so quickly in such a small amount of time was devastating. However, a part of him hoped that since his regression happened more quickly this time, so would the recovery. But, like his wife, he would have to wait and see.

Spencer himself wasn't all too sure about what he needed at that point in time. He knew that he wanted attention and security, but the line of what he wanted and needed weren't as distinctly clear as he'd hoped. So he kept close to his parents, hoping that they would somehow understand and be able to fulfill his needs since he didn't understand them himself. He knew what things gave him comfort and tried to utilize them to the best of his ability. He just got lucky that the rest of the time, when everything else seemed up in the air, that his mother knew what he needed.

The third and fourth days made huge leaps toward getting back to the place they were before. Diana took an hour to herself again, and Spencer wasn't constantly begging her for attention. Instead he played by himself and got a little closer to normal six year old behavior, rather than behaving like a one or two year old. He still sucked his thumb (Diana had assumed that it would become a habit since it had been going on so long now, and she was right) and wet the bed, but now those were the only two real babyish habits left. To see that in place of their son begging for bottles and a permanent return to diapers like he had just two days before was a load off of their minds. For the first time since being back together, Diana and William started feeling like they actually had a handle on things again.

By the end of the week, everything was back to where it had been before, and that was a relief.


	12. Remembrance

At first it wasn't memories that came back.

It was certain skills- knowing how to do advanced math, science, and writing. Once that came back, so did Spencer's ferocious thirst for knowledge. Every day his knowledge of the subjects grew more complete. Diana and William encouraged him to keep going with it, and in the space of just five days he was doing high school level algebra. William made sure to keep the team informed of his progress. They were all excited to know that he was getting on the right track.

A few days after that, William and Diana took Spencer back to the hospital for an MRI, following the Doctor's orders to come back if his memory hadn't progressed. Everything went off without a hitch, and they were quickly in and out. Diana was nervous to find the results.

The following day Diana got the call she'd been expecting. The doctor reported good news. No damage had been done to his prefrontal cortex, so he would likely make a full recovery. She was delighted to know that he would be okay. When she shared the good news with her husband the two of them made a toast to their son's improving mental health.

When the memories finally did start to come back, they were in quick snippets that happened mostly in his dreams. When they did start coming during the day, he was startled by them. He feared that he was inheriting his mother's illness, but stayed quiet about it. Somehow knowing seemed worse than not knowing.

About a week or so after the flashes began, he couldn't take the not knowing anymore. While his father was at work he sat down with his mother and started telling her about the strange things he'd seen. Sometimes he saw total strangers. Sometimes he saw places or objects. Other times he saw the people who were in his living room a few weeks before. But none of these bothered him as much as the terrifying image of dead bodies lying everywhere. It frightened him more than anything. When he calmed, he gathered his courage and sat down with her, behaving less childlike as the days wore on.

When he asked her where these things came from, she took his hand in her own, patted it gently, and promised that he would understand soon. She reassured him that he wasn't crazy, and that it would be alright. He cuddled with her while she stroked his hair and sang to him quietly. It was comforting to her to know that her baby still needed her. When he ended up falling asleep in her lap (she still insisted that he take an afternoon nap) she stayed still until he woke up two hours later.

She then left a message for her husband on his cell phone before calling the BAU to explain what was happening. They decided to send Derek to try and help him with his memory, considering he'd already built rapport with him. The next day he arrived at Spencer's home.

Diana had taken the time to explain who Agent Morgan and the rest of their team was. At first, Spencer had looked at her like she was crazy (it wasn't the first time that had happened to her, and she knew it wouldn't be the last), but had allowed her to prove her point with a picture he'd sent her of the entire team. Needless to say, Spencer was very shaken up by it. For a few minutes he sat down on the couch, trying to process everything. Even though he was frightened, a part of him buried deep inside knew it was true and was comforted by it.

When Derek arrived, he sat down with Spencer, hoping to take him through a cognitive interview. He had Spencer shut his eyes. Diana hovered protectively nearby, just in case Spencer needed her.

"What was the last flash you saw?" He asked.

"It was in a room. Looking at a whiteboard."

"Do you remember what was on the board?"

"A date... March 21."

"Look around the room for me. Who else is there?"

"You... A man with brown hair that I don't recognize."

"Is he talking to you?"

"No."

"Can you tell me anything else about the room?"

"There are pictures up on a cork board... A woman... A man... A dog... And letters. Hand written letters."

"Can you tell me what the letters say?"

He shook his head. "No. I can't see them."

"Okay. That's good. You're doing really good."

"Can I open my eyes now?"

"Sure."

He opened his eyes and felt relief. "Did I do okay?"

"You did great, kid."

"After we take a break, can we try again?"

Morgan smiled. "Absolutely."

They high-fived each other.

Derek made it a point to call Spencer and do a cognitive interview for at least an hour each day. He spent more time on it when he was able to get there in person, but it wasn't very often, seeing as his job was so demanding. Every day Spencer remembered a little more- a moment with an unsub, activities with the team, and places he'd traveled to. He grew better and better by the day. By the next month, Derek deemed him well enough to return to work. There were still gaps in his memory about certain cases, but as long as he remembered his training and underwent recertification, he was able to be back at the BAU. The day he came back his coworkers threw him a welcome back party, complete with a cake and presents.

As for William and Diana, they were glad to see their son flourishing once more. Although they missed having him around the house, there were advantages to having the house to themselves. Together, they decided to go on a second honeymoon to Rio De Janeiro, and sent their son post cards and pictures throughout the time they were there. When they got back and Spencer was in town they all went to dinner together. Although he had recovered much of his memory, Diana suspected he had repressed any bad memories regarding his father. She silently thanked whatever God would listen that the two of them were now behaving like a father and son should.

Although it had been a trying few months, this incident had reunited their broken family. They were all grateful that for once in their lives they were each given a second shot to do it all over again.

 **Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed the story!**


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